Miniaturized forcible entry tool

ABSTRACT

A forcible entry tool is provided having a shank portion, a tail portion and a head portion. The head consists of a spike extending normal to the axis of the shank and wedge and wrench portions extending mutually opposite from each other along a line extending generally normal to both the extension of the shaft and that of the spike. The wedge and wrench portions consist of approximately equal masses so that when an impact is applied to an object by the spike portion, any lateral turning moment about the spike is minimized. The wrench is formed as an extension of the wedge portion and presents an arcuate upper surface extending between the two so that when the wedge is used, a greater fulcrum distance is provided than heretofore known. Furthermore, in using the wrench portion, both the shank portion and the wedge may be utilized as a dual handle system for applying additional torque to a hose coupling and the like. The shank may be formed to bend away from the side presenting the wrench to facilitate the application of torque to a hose coupling when using the wrench.

United States Patent Ziaylek, Jr.

[451 Dec. 12, 1972 [54] MINIATURIZED FORCIBLE ENTRY TOOL 721 ,lnventor: Theodore Ziaylek, Jr., PO. Box

292, Yardley, Pa. 19068 22 Filed: May21,l971

21 Appl. No.: 145,645

Primary Examiner-Robert C. Riordon Assistant Examiner-Roscoe V. Parker, Jr. Attorney-Sperry and Zoda tually opposite from each other along a line extending generally normal to both the extension of the shaft and that of the spike. The wedge and wrench portions consist of approximately equal masses so that when an impact is applied to an object by the spike portion, any lateral turning moment about the spike is minimized.

The wrench is formed as an extension of the wedge portion and presents an areuate upper surface extending between the two so that when the wedge is used, a greater fulcrum distance is provided than heretofore known. Furthermore, in using the wrench portion, both the shank portion'and the wedge may be utilized as a dual handle system for applying additional torque to a hose coupling and the like. The shankmay be 5 Claims, 4 Drawing Figures PATENTE D 12 I973 3. 705,430

, I N VENTOR I 71/500025 Zane/4J2.

8pm M42044,

ATTORNEYS 1 I MINIATURIZEI) FORCIBLE ENTRY TOOL BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION order to gain access to a fire or to rescue a trapped person fromsrnoke'suffocation. A fire fighter'might also use a forcible entry tool to open a portion of a wall in order to determine the extent to which a-fire 'has spread. The same fire fighter may have to close a gas cock or connect two fire hose segments; I

Clearly, the physical characteristics and configurations of structures to be entered and fittings to be coupled may vary. considerably; This, then, raises the requirement that the fire fighter or rescue worker utilize a wide variety of different types of tools during the course of a single occurance, in order to perform all the various necessary operations involved.

Heretofore, forcible entry tools have been large and cumbersome presenting significant problems with respect to the requirement of having the proper tool where and when it is needed. The fire fighter or rescue worker isgenerally physically unable to carry all the tools he may require through the various situations he may encounter. Furthermore, such a proliferation of tools would hamper his progress and balance in meeting emergency situations requiring a great degree of manual dexterity.

If, for the above reasons, the rescuer does not have thenecessary tool to meet a certain emergency situation, he either has to wait .for someone else to bring him the proper tool for the task confronting him, or he must waste valuable time in obtaining the tool himself from some supply area.

One approach. to the problem is to provide extra men for carrying the tools, but such extra men are not always available.

Another approach to the problem is to issue the rescue workers compound tools which are capable of being utilized for several related operations. An example of such a tool is the one described in US. Pat. No. 3,219,316, issued to Fried in 1965.

The Fried tool, while being entirely adequate to perform several functions, is more expensive and complicated than may be desirable for some rescue organizations. More specifically, it would be especially advantageous if a compact, simple, compound tool were provided which could be used for a multiplicity of rescue operations and which may be miniaturized without losing the effectiveness thereof.

OBJECTS AND SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION during an emergency occurance. I

It is another object of the present invention to provide a multi-purpose forcible entry tool which is uniquely formed to be easily carried by a rescue worker. i

It is still another object of the present invention to provide a forcible entry tool which may be integrated into one piece for. ease of manufacture.

- It is yet still another'object of the present invention to provide a multi-purpose compound forcible entry tool which uniquely lends itself to miniaturization without sacrificing the effectiveness thereof.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide a single, forcible entry tool which will perform operations heretofore requiring a large number of ,dif-

I ferent types of forcible entry tools,

It is still a'further object of. the present invention to [solve many of the problems presented to rescue workerslin their confrontations-with extreme emergency situations requiring the performance ,of many tasks within an unfortunately short period of time.

At least some of the above listed objects are achieved I by the provision of a compound tool generally comprising a shank portion, a tail portion and a head portion. A spike extends from the head portion generally normal to the longitudinalextension of the shaft and approximately equal masses of material extend from the head portion along a line generally normal to both the spike and the shaft. The two masses consist of a wrench and a wedge having an upper arcuate surface extending along the entire length of the masses. The shank portion bends toward the wedge side of the tool along the length of the shank toward the tail portion thereof. The tail portion terminates in a crowbar-like claw.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION or THE DRAWINGS While the specification concludes with claims which particularly point out and distinctly claim the present invention, a preferred embodiment is set forth in the following detailed description which may be best understood when read in connection with the accompanying drawing in which:

FIG. 1 is a pictorial view of a forcible entry tool according to the present invention; I

FIG. 2 is an elevational view of a flat side ofthe tool shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is an elevational view of a second side of the tool shown in FIG. 1; and

FIG. 4 is a top plan view of the tool of the present invention as shown and oriented in FIG. 1.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Referring now to the drawings in which like numerals are used to indicate like parts throughout the various views thereof, FIG. 1 shows a pictorial view of the preferred embodiment of the present invention.

A shank 10 is provided having a tail portion 12 and a head portion 14.

The head 14 may be provided with a spike-like projection 16 which may be generally circular in cross section and arcuately formed todroop toward the tail portion 12 ofthe overall assembly. The terminal end 18 .of the spike-like projection 16 may be somewhat pointed to penetrate a structure upon impacting the structure with the tool.

A spanner wrench 20 and a wedge 22 are formed as a portion of the head 14 to present approximately equivalent masses on either side of the spike-like projection 16. The wedge 22 and wrench 20 are formed to present a continuous upper face surface 24 which is gently arcuate from the terminus 26 of the wrench to the terminus 28 of the wedge.

The side shown in elevation in FIG. 2 may be generally flat to facilitate the mounting of the tool within a rescue workers holster secured to a waist belt with the projection 16 extending outwardly.

The tail portion of the overall tool may be widened, flattened and formed at the terminus thereof to present a claw portion 30. The corners along the extension of the shaft may be scalloped 32 to facilitate the gripping of the shank and to provide additional frictional corners to prevent a workers moistened hand from slipping about the surface of the shank 10.

One surface 34 of the spanner wrench may be generally flattened to present animpacting surface. A lower portion 36 of the wrench curves downwardly and inwardly to perform the spanner wrench function of locking and unlocking hose couplings and the like. The portion 36 may be formed with surfaces for gripping coupling lugs in a conventional manner.

The last third portion of the shank adjacent the tail portion may be bent toward the wedge portion so that, when the tool engages a cylindrical hose coupling (not shown), a flat upwardly directed surface 38 is available to facilitate the application of torque to the coupling. Additionally, the surface 24 of the wedge portion 22 provides a second handle portion with which to apply torque to a coupling. This unique arrangement facilitates the spanner wrench function and prevents delays in coupling and uncoupling fire fighting apparatus.

Since the tool head 14 is generally balanced about the spike, when a blow is delivered to a conventional cylindrical lock, any moments tending to twist the spike as it pierces through the cylindrical housing of the lock are significantly diminished. Therefore, when the tool is thrust through such a lock, the direction of the spike will be true so as to puncture entirely through the cylindrical mechanism more easily than heretofore possible.

Since the tail portion 12 of the tool bends away from the spanner wrench, more torque may be brought to bear on a coupling to be fastened or unfastened.

The continuous face surface 24 provides a large fulcrum distance for a for a rescue worker in prying open doors and the like, which fulcrum may progressively shift along surface 24 to the terminus corner 26 of the spanner wrench. Due to this unique configuration, a large fulcrum may be provided on a tool which may be miniaturized to 12 inches or less in length and weigh 2 pounds or less. Furthermore, the additional handle provided for the spanner spanner wrench by the wedge portion 22 in combination with the flattened surface 38 of the tail portion 12 permits the application of a high torque to a hose coupling even though the shank 10 may be 12 inches or less.

It can thus be seen, that a unique arrangement has been herein provided for a compound forcible entry tool which may consist of a single integrated member. Because of the presentment of projections and surfaces III a unique arrangement, the various features thereof cooperate in a synergistic manner to permit the application of a higher torque per size of tool than heretofore possible.

Although each of the individual features of the present invention, taken alone, are, in themselves, not new; the inventors combination and arrangement of these features to produce-a resulting function which is greater than the individual functions of the individual features is believed to be a significant advancement in the art to which the invention pertains.

SCOPE OF THE INVENTION While what has been shown in the preceeding detailed description is a preferred embodiment of the present invention, it is of course understood that various modifications may be made therein without departing from the invention. It is, therefore, intended to include in the following appended claims all such modifications and changes as may fall within the true spirit and scope of the present invention.

What I claim is: l. A compound forcible entry tool including a shank portion, a tail portion and a head portion, said head portion comprising:

a. a spike projection extending generally normal to the axis of the shank, said spike extending arcuately from said shank; A wedge projection extending generally normal to the extension of both said spike projection and the shank, said wedge projection having a generally rectangular cross section and an arcuately extending surface on an upper face thereof when said tool is aligned vertically with said head uppermost; c. a spanner wrench extending generally normal to the extension of both of said spike projection and the shank and projecting from the shank in a direction opposite to the extension of said wedge, said arcuately extending upper surface of said wedge extending to form a corresponding surface on said wrench; d. the mass of material comprising said wedge and the mass of material comprising said wrench being approximately equal, whereby an impact delivered by said spike upon striking a lock or the like is generally free of twisting moments so that the spike may penetrate along a generally straight line through a relatively small cylindrical recess housing a conventional lock; the shank being formed to bend away from said spanner wrench toward the tail portion thereof; and

said tail portion being widened in a plane extending normal to the extension of said spanner wrench and said wedge and tapering toward the terminus thereof.

2. A tool as defined in claim 1, wherein said spike projection is generally circular in cross section and tapers toward the terminus thereof.

3. A tool as defined in claim 1 wherein said tail portion is formed to present a crowbar-like claw.

4. A tool as defined in claim 1 wherein said shank is no more than 12 inches in length.

5. A tool as defined in claim 4 wherein the overall weight of said tool does not exceed 2 pounds.

a e t a w 

1. A compound forcible entry tool including a shank portion, a tail portion and a head portion, said head portion comprising: a. a spike projection extending generally normal to the axis of the shank, said spike extending arcuately from said shank; b. A wedge projection extending generally normal to the extension of both said spike projection and the shank, said wedge projection having a generally rectangular cross section and an arcuately extending surface on an upper face thereof when said tool is aligned vertically with said head uppermost; c. a spanner wrench extending generally normal to the extension of both of said spike projection and the shank and projecting from the shank in a direction opposite to the extension of said wedge, said arcuately extending upper surface of said wedge extending to form a corresponding surface on said wrench; d. the mass of material comprising said wedge and the mass of material comprising said wrench being approximately equal, whereby an impact delivered by said spike upon striking a lock or the like is generally free of twisting moments so that the spike may penetrate along a generally straight line through a relatively small cylindrical recess housing a conventional lock; the shank being formed to bend away from said spanner wrench toward the tail portion thereof; and said tail portion being widened in a plane extending normal to the extension of said spanner wrench and said wedge and tapering toward the terminus thereof.
 2. A tool as defined in claim 1, wherein said spike projection is generally circular in cross section and tapers toward the terminus thereof.
 3. A tool as defined in claim 1 wherein said tail portion is formed to present a crowbar-like claw.
 4. A tool as defined in claim 1 wherein said shank is no more than 12 inches in length.
 5. A tool as defined in claim 4 wherein the overall weight of said tool does not exceed 2 pounds. 